p. 7 | PRIESTS OF GOD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 6, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 10.

PRIESTS OF GOD.

THERE is a Christian priesthood ministering before the throne of grace, in the sanctuary on high. The everlasting High Priest there is Jesus Christ. Of Him and His ministration the Epistle to the Hebrews has given us much instruction. See especially Heb. 3: 1; 4: 14, 15; 5: 5–9; 7: 17–28; 8: 1–6; 9: 11–24, et al.

Of His assistants in twenty-four courses John speaks in Rev. 4: 4, 10; 5: 6–8. But it is not of these we write. There is a Christian priesthood on earth. But it is not God’s design that it should be confined to a certain few, fenced in by sacerdotal rites and ceremonies. The great sinful, sick world is in need, and it always has been in need; and God wants many to be ministers of His grace and mercy.

This was His design of old. Altho the priesthood was vested in the tribe of Levi and the house of Aaron, it was not God’s design that they only should minister of Him and His to the world. Far from this. They were to be special ministers to His own children. They were a part of the divine order and system, to prevent confusion.

Apart from the sacrifices offered, it was the business of the priest to teach the people the way of the Lord. “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” Mal. 2: 7. Knowledge of God should so fill his heart as to be always upon his lips, ready to be uttered in season to the soul that was weary. That he might rightly teach, he was to be truly temperate. “And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee; . . . that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” Lev. 10: 8–11. Their example was to

teach as well as their words; for instruction without example is of little worth. The priest who speaks the Word of truth with his lips and lives a lie in his life, is himself a false witness of God. Receiving true instruction, the people were held responsible for its performance. Deut. 17: 9; 24: 8.

Now, all this instruction to priests is applicable in a much broader sense. It is God’s design that His whole people should be priests. “Now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto Me from among all people; for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Ex. 19: 5, 6. And if in past ages God’s people had so obeyed Him, this would have been the effect: “Keep therefore and do them [the statutes, the commandments]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Deut. 4: 6–8. Israel would have dwelt in safety, and the Gospel would have gone to all the world. But Israel of old did not appreciate their great responsibility and privilege. Neither has Israel, the Christian church; for God thru Christ has called every regenerate soul to a divine priesthood. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises [excellences, virtues] of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” I Peter 2: 9. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God.” Rev. 1: 6.

The Christian is by faith to have an indwelling Saviour; he is to live by the life of Christ. Eph. 3: 17; Gal. 2: 20. He is to minister that life to others, in instruction, in a blameless example, in pure words, in noble deeds. He is to be a witness of the power of God. God bestows the gift of His Spirit for that very purpose. “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified thru Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4: 10, 11.